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Bismarck: A Life

Page 77

by Jonathan Steinberg


  Furious at Windthorst for going to Bismarck’s reception 381

  Mühler, Heinrich von (1813–74), Prussian Minister of Religion

  Bismarck thinks ‘influenced by clever wife’ 190

  Denies that Bismarck has any religion, just materialism and power 320

  Blamed for allowing a Catholic intransigent to head teacher training college 326

  Normann, Karl von (1827–88), private secretary to the Crown Prince 189, 254, 429

  Orloff, Katarina Princess 69

  Bismarck and his infatuation with her 175–7

  Perthes, Clemens Theodor (1809–67), jurist, publisher, founder of ‘Inner Mission’, and friend of Albrecht von Roon

  Roon tells that he knows Bismarck a ‘political genius’ 6

  Hildegard Spitzemberg touched by Roon’s account of his friendship with 10

  Roon writes that all he does is pass on orders up and down (1857) 142

  Roon says that Prussia is ‘humiliated’ (1859) 154

  Description of Perthes and his position 158

  Recognizes (correctly) that Roon now a historical character 158

  May 1862: assesses the two sides of Bismarck’s nature, and his religion 172–3

  Roon complains of the ‘poisonous enemies’ he accumulates 175

  Perthes complains (1864) of official press’s mockery of legitimate princes 185

  May 1862: assesses the two sides of Bismarck’s nature, and his religion 172–3

  Sees Bismarck’s cold calculation and ruthlessness 466–7

  Pius IX (1792–1878) (Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti), Pope from 16 June 1846 to 7 February 1878

  Condemns all aspects of liberalism 259, 318

  On 29 June 1868 issued invitations for a Vatican Council 275

  Encyclical UBI NOS 15 May 1871 breaks off relations with the godless Italian state 317

  And Hohenzollern Monarchy 335

  Encyclical Quod Numquam (On the Church in Prussia) 1875 declares Prussian church laws invalid 347

  Death and legacy of 348

  Podbielski, Eugen Anton Theophil von (1814–79), Prussian General 290, 295, 300, 301, 310

  Pourtalès, Albert Count von (1812–61), Prussian Diplomat

  Complains about Bismarck’s ‘use-and-discard’ attitude to staff and colleagues 473

  Prokesch von Osten, Anton, Count (1795–1876), orientalist, writer, and diplomat, Austrian ambassador to the Bund 123, 124–5, 128

  Bismarck wants him to stay, ‘such a clumsy opponent I shall never get again’ 127

  Prussian army

  Same names fight the wars from 1740 to 1945 18–20

  116 Kleists served under Frederick the Great, 30 of whom died 61

  By 1880 even more Puttkamers than Kleists had ‘served’ in 383

  Baron von Osten in Fontane’s Irrungen, Wirrungen (888) embodies its ethos 19

  General Staff a ‘learning organisation’ 20

  1870 order of battle, same group of families hold almost all field commands 291

  Efficient ‘mediocrity’ crucial to victories in 1866, says Prince Frederich Charles 252

  Radowitz, Joseph Maria Ernst Christian Wilhelm von (1797–1853), Prussian General and friend of Frederick William IV

  And the unification of Germany under Prussia 103–7

  Bismarck thinks manipulates Count Brandenburg 105

  Bismarck’s assessment of his character and strengths 107

  Radowitz, Joseph Maria von (1839–1912), German diplomat, son of the above 385

  Rantzau, Kuno Otto Heinrich Hermann Karl Count zu (1843–1917), Bismarck’s son-in-law 402, 404

  Writes Herbert that father confuses Treaty of 1884 with Reinsurance Treaty 462

  Rantzau, Marie Countess von (née Bismarck) (1848–1926) 95, 264, 404, 459

  Bismarck disappointed that no interest beyond family 69

  Bismarck describes travels with the infant Marie 106

  Rechberg und Rothenlöwen, Johann Bernhard Count von (1806–99), Austrian Foreign Minister (1859–1964) 18, 213, 220, 225, 226

  Replaces Prokesch as ambassador to the Bund 127

  Has quick temper and Bismarck calls him a Kratzbürste (scratch brush) 212

  Outmanoeuvred in the negotiations about Schleswig and Holstein 222–4

  Reichensperger, August (1808–95), Catholic activist, lawyer and Member of Prussian and Reich Parliaments 161, 274, 303, 322, 397, 413

  Reichensperger, Peter (1810–92), younger brother of August, Centre Party Member of the Reichstag and Landtag, lawyer and academic 273, 303, 397

  Richter, Eugen (1838–1906), Leader of Left Liberals

  On Bismarck’s possible retirement (1877) and tariff 357–8

  Displays ‘revolutionary tendencies’ by asserting civil rights 385

  Anti-semites are Bismarck’s children 398

  Sees Bismarck’s peace with Catholics as trick to end universal suffrage 411

  Bismarck attacks as opponent of Septennat 420

  Roedern, General Maximilian Count von (1816–98)

  Brutality about suicide of Mayor of Frankfurt (1866) 256

  Roggenbach, Franz Freiherr von (1825–1907)

  Considers Bismarck (1860) ‘an unprincipled Junker who wants to make his career in rabble-rousing’ 165

  As centre of anti-Bismarckian clique around Augusta 239

  Tries with Queen to protect Baden after 1866 266

  Writes Queen (1869) that Bismarck is ‘ill’ and has lost control of events 276

  Crown Prince (1871) tries to get appointed new governor of Alsace 310

  Roggenbach describes Bismarck’s rule as ‘a specialization in dishonourable humiliation’ 336

  Has an idea of what Bismarck is really like 343

  Von Neumann writes how people are ‘degrading themselves to mere tools of the All-Powerful One’ 362

  On Hohenlohe who as Bavrian Catholic cannot mak people fear him 459

  Roman Question (loss of the ‘Temporal Power’ of the Popes)

  Crown Prince Frederick thinks Italian seizure of Rome the end 316

  Dissidio after 1870 ever more bitter 317–18

  First stage in the Kulturkampf 276

  Centre Party (1871) demands restoration of 316

  Abolished and Pius IX declares mourning 317

  Roon, Albrecht Count von (1803–79) Prussian General and Minister of War 44, 87, 136, 162, 196, 225, 227, 277, 337, 341, 471

  Suffers from asthma and will ‘die by the neck’ 175, 303, 343

  Recognises how remarkable Bismarck was from his first contact, a ‘political genius’ 6

  Knows that he put Bismarck into office 10, 185

  Explains how embarrassing Bismarck’s uniforms were 19

  Bismarcks meets in 1834 and spends summer working with 43

  Roon and wife in 1850s ‘were basically living on his salary’ 44

  Meets Bismarck and Johanna on honeymoon (1847) 83

  May have arranged a meeting with King in Venice (1847) 84

  Disgusted by Frederick William’s surrender to mob in 1848 86

  King William salutes as one of three architects of victory in 1870 137–8

  King promises at initiation of Order of St John (1858) high office 139–40

  Modest Dutch bourgeois, Jewish (?) ancestors of 140

  William and Augusta want Roon to tutor Prince Frederick but refuses 140–1

  Roon’s service in 1848 and regiment allows him to get close to William 141

  King invites to propose army reforms (1858) and his text of 142–5

  Von Bonin opposes reforms and Augusta cautions him on impatience about 147–8

  Tells Perthes that Prussia ‘humiliated’ (1859) 154

  Angry confrontation with Steinmetz over reform and Brandt doubts about 157

  Wrangel supports and says must be Minister of War 157

  29 November 1859: Prince Regent appoints Minister of War 158

  Perthes recognizes his new historic office 158

  Army reforms
‘important’ to King and to Landtag 159–60

  Bismarck confers with on his future and crisis 161

  Attacked in parliament 162

  Manteuffel as military cabinet chief closer to King than Moltke and 163

  Manteuffel bombards with bellicose advice in Conflict of 1862–3 164, 170, 172

  Records that Bismarck has several audiences with King (1862) 172

  Bismarck as the only man who can resolve crisis 165

  King laments his ‘bucket full of trouble’ 168

  Summons Bismarck (1861) with first periculum in mora telegram 168

  Cannot reach Bismarck to confer 169

  Bismarck rejects proposal to be ‘minister without portfolio’ and his reply 173–4

  Desperate letter to Bismarck (June 1862) 174

  Writes Perthes about the number of his ‘poisonous’ enemies (July 1862) 175

  Begs Bismarck to accept minister without portfolio (31 August 1862) 177

  Arranges Bismarck’s audience with and appointment by William I 177–8

  Bleichröder reports that will remain as minister of war in Bismarck’s cabinet 179

  Perthes protests at the way official press mock princely sovereignty 185

  Offers Landtag concessions on three-year service 186

  Cites Lassalle’s view of constitutions as about power in Landtag 203

  Bismarck asks about military moves in Schleswig and Holstein 213

  To Perthes (1864) how war tears up international agreements 214

  Bismarck confesses anxiety that Royal family backs Augustenburg 215

  Essential to Bismarck as soldier who can go directly to King 216

  Urges King with Moltke to gain a victory for prestige 217

  Sums up situation to Blanckenburg in May 1864 219–20

  As ‘truest friend’ warns Bismarck about army opinion on eve of war 220–1

  To Blanckenburg worried that ‘Otto made too many concession in London’ (1864) 221

  Argues for constitutionality of borrowing to finance Danish war 223

  On Bismarck’s ‘neurotic impatience’ 224

  Manteuffel after Crown Council (1865) begs to keep Bismarck under control 228

  Bismarck discusses financing the war with 230

  To Blanckenburg (August 1865) schemes work and enough money for war at hand 232

  Both Moltke and Roon come from untypical Prussian backgrounds: Denmark and Holland 235

  Worries about Bismarck’s health and mental stability (March 1866) 238

  Bismarck needs to arrange audience with King 239

  One of the two (Moritz) to whom Bismarck can tell truth 257

  Lasker defeats in election in Berlin district (1867) 269

  Stosch writes that Bismarck knows Roon is right on Reich ministry of war but refuses 275

  Pleads with Bismarck (1869) not to resign 278

  Bismarck furious letter to about resignation crisis 279

  Writes Moritz crushing judgement on Bismarck’s character (January 1870) 280

  Attends informal dinner Crown Council (1870) on Spanish canditure 283

  ‘Dejected’ at news that Hohenzollern candidature collapsed 287

  Helps draft telegram from Bad Ems (1870) 288–9

  Reassures Lucius that no rush to mobilize 289

  Has room in Ferrières during Franco-Prussian War 295

  Goes with Moltke to refuse bombardment of Paris 297

  Bronsart on all against in 1870 298

  Grows ‘more ill each day’ because Moltke will not bombard Paris 301

  9 January 1871, his 50th anniversary in army Crown Prince notes terrible asthma 303

  Carries sceptre in procession in 1871 310

  Votes ‘yes’ (1872) in House of Lords on school supervisory law 324

  Sells estate (1875) to Bleichröder, purchaser as Jew omitted from his papers 330

  Considers resignation in 1872 and actually resigns in December 1872 341–2

  Agrees to division of Prussian and Reich presidencies and becomes Prussian Minister-President of Prussia 342–3

  Bismarck tells him that he loses friends and gains none 342

  Hildegard on Roon’s charater on reading his diary 10

  Lucius sums up Roon’s character as ‘perfect type of the severe, dutiful, conscientious, Prussian’ 379

  Bismarck’s lukewarm tribute in memoirs 379

  Perthes warns of Bismarck’s ‘cold cunning’ 466–7

  Modest Dutch background, possibly Jewish ancestors in Holland 140

  Admiration for 436

  Rottenburg, Franz von (1845–1907), Chief of the Reich Chancellor’s Office 441, 442

  Russell, Francis Charles Hastings (1819–91), 9th Duke of Bedford 335, 369, 370

  Russell, Lady Emily (1843–1927), 3rd daughter of 4th Earl of Clarendon

  Unique honour of dinner at Embassy for Emperor and Empress 34–5

  Pleased that Odo gets highest wish to grapple with Bismarck 298

  Bismarck tells how hard it is to control his temper with Centre Party 336

  Russell, Odo William Leopold (1829–1884), first Baron Ampthill, diplomatist 128

  Gladstone sends to Prussian HQ to meet and deal with Bismarck 298

  Unusual continental and linguistic background 298–9

  To permanent under-secretary ‘charmed’ by Bismarck 299

  Bismarck tells three Emperors like Canova’s Three Graces 328

  Bismarck misunderstands and underrates power of church 334

  Bismarck as demonic 5, 184, 194, 335

  Calm in 1875 ‘war in sight’ crisis 351–2

  To Lord Derby on Bismarck as the author of his own misfortunes 358

  Portrait of Franz Joseph’s arbitrary behavior 152

  Flatters Disraeli into speaking English at Congress of Berlin, not his bad French 368

  Comments on the Congress of Berlin 369–72

  Catholic prelates go to heaven ‘like rockets’ as martyrs to Bismarck 335

  With Morier calles Bismarck Zornesbock (the raging billy-goat) 465

  Lady Emily ‘unique favour’ of Imperial couple at dinner in embassy 34–5, 470

  Saxony 403

  Prussia wants all of (1815) 26

  In Alliance of Three Kings (1849) 104

  In Federal Assembly with one vote 111

  Buol wants to ‘restore’ Saxony in 1855 127

  Engels amazed at industrialization of 144

  Bismarck plans universal suffrage to undermine dynasty of 191

  Tells Beust, prime minister of how he used Augustenburg 221

  French traveller describes monarchical self-confidence of 247

  Prussian troops invade 249

  King William demands slice of in 1866 255

  Queen Augusta from ‘Ernestine’ line of Saxon dynasty 266

  Miners strike in 440

  Kings of

  Johann (1801–73) 1854–73 182, 197, 253, 268

  Albert (1828–1902) 1873–1902 457

  Bismarck irritable that he must call on 404

  Bismarck ‘cannot listen to a contrary opinion’(1880) 405

  Savigny, Karl Friedrich von (1814–75), Prussian Diplomat and Aachen friend of Bismarck 261

  Bismarck asks to bring dress suit (1837) because engaged to Isabella Lorraine-Smith 49

  Bismarck asks to return legal documents to office when he quits civil service 60

  Remarks that Delbrück interested in what bores Bismarck 271

  First chairman of the new Centre Party (December 1870) 303

  Scharlach, Gustav (1811–81), ‘Corp brother’ and university friend of Bismarck

  Bismarck’s famous letters to 42 43, 45, 60, 105

  Schleinitz, Alexander von (1807–85), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1858–61) and (from 1861) Minister of the Royal Household 157, 161, 165, 169, 181

  Bismarck tells William (1859) that is a courtier not a statesman 146

  Indecisive in 1859 154

  Attends emotional meeting as Household Min
ister on title of Emperor 306

  Schleinitz-Wolkenstein, Marie Gräfin von (1842–1912), Berliner Salonière

  Mimi, sister of Herbert’s lover, Elizabeth Princess Carolath, and sister of another ‘enemy’ 407–8

  Schlözer, Kurd von (1822–94), German Diplomat 165

  Bismarck brags about how he deceived everybody in 1862 182–3, 466

  Bismarck banishes for one wisecrack too many 183

  Schmerling, Anton von (1805–93), Austrian liberal politician and organizer of the 1863 Congress of Princes 196

  Schwarzenberg, Felix (1800–52), Prince of Schwarzenberg, Duke of Krumlov, Count of Sulz, Princely Landgrave of Kelttgau 104, 107, 123

  Schwarzenberg’s death, loss of the one Austrian leader of stature 124

  Schweinitz, Hans Lothar von (1822–1901), Prussian General and Ambassador to Russia and Austria 240, 267, 354

  On the way military cabinet chief has become another despot 163

  Worries that Congress of Berlin ‘going very badly’ 371

  Tsar (August 1879) complains to about German policy 385

  ‘Dictatorship of Bismarck’ has been beneficial to the masses but for elites leaves ‘a very impressive secondary tyranny’ 467

  Schweninger, Ernst (1850–1924) Bismarck’s house physician

  Cures Bismarck of overweight and sleeplessnes 413–15

  Substitute for maternal care 415–16

  Koch on his unconventional lectures and methods in 1906 414–15

  Schwerin, Maximilian Count von (1804–72), Prussian Minister of Religion

  Accuses Bismarck (1863) of putting power above morality 320, 472

  Selchow, Werner Ludolph Erdmann von (1806–84)

  As Prussian Minister of Agriculture Bismarck’s low opinion of 190

  Sennft-Pillsach, Ernst von (1795–1882)

  Urges Bismarck to turn back to faith and Bismarck mocks him 339–40

  Spitzemberg, Carl Freiherr Hugo von 67, 68, 69, 311

  Spitzemberg, Hildegard Freifrau Hugo von

  First impressions of Bismarck and Johanna 67–8,

  Her character and background 68

  Bismarck’s taste in literature 45

  On reading Roon’s diary 10

  On Johanna’s ‘old rags’ as court dress 68

  Bismarck on his marriage and daughter as disappointment 69

  Bismarck on Foot Guards as ‘military monastery’ 17

  Attends State Opening of the new Reichstag, 1871 301

  Attends the victory party at the Bismarcks 311

  Relieved in 1872 that no ‘Jew barons’ appointed to House of Lords 341

 

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